The Ultimate Matrix Collection
Encyclopedia
The Ultimate Matrix Collection is a multi-format release featuring all the titles in the Matrix series
, as well as several hours of special features, spread over 10 discs on standard-def
DVD
, 5 discs on HD DVD
, and 7 discs on Blu-ray
.
It was initially released by Warner Home Video
on SD DVD on December 7, 2004. The HD DVD release followed on May 22, 2007, with the Blu-ray release happening after the BD format's victory in the HD DVD/BD format war
on October 14, 2008.
The aim of the collection was to compile all three movies in the trilogy in one release, as well as The Animatrix
, the feature length documentary
The Matrix Revisited
and many other extras that were not available on the three previous, separate releases.
A Limited Edition of the Ultimate Matrix Collection was also released on SD DVD, packaged in a transparent case and including an exclusive resin bust of Neo and 80-page booklet.
All three films now include two audio commentaries
: one by the film critics Todd McCarthy
, John Powers and David Thomson
; and one by the philosophers Ken Wilber
and Cornel West
. In a written introduction, the Wachowskis explain that this is to inspire an implied dialogue between both camps so that the audience "might triangulate their own position".
The set also features The Matrix Reloaded Revisited and The Matrix Revolutions Revisited, two new 'making of' documentaries on the sequels, divided into segments on larger sequences or aspects of production, which may in turn be viewed as short (~5-20 minute) segments. The Reloaded Revisited disk also includes the footage shot especially for the Enter the Matrix
video game, which previously could only be seen after having completed certain parts of the game.
Three of the disks are not connected to specific movies in the series. "The Roots Of The Matrix" contains two short documentaries, discussing the philosophy
and science
of the series as a whole. "The Burly Man Chronicles" provides a documentary on the trials and tribulations faced by the crew in the production of "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions." Finally, "The Zion Archive" is a collection of information on the merchandising, marketing and spin-off franchises; as well as miscellaneous material such as concept sketches.
The Blu-ray Disc collection is broken down differently:
The Matrix (franchise)
The Matrix is a science fiction action franchise created by Andy and Larry Wachowski and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The series began with the 1999 film The Matrix and later spawned two sequels; The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, both released in 2003, thus forming a trilogy...
, as well as several hours of special features, spread over 10 discs on standard-def
Standard-definition television
Sorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, 5 discs on HD DVD
HD DVD
HD DVD is a discontinued high-density optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.Supported principally by Toshiba, HD DVD was envisioned to be the successor to the standard DVD format...
, and 7 discs on Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
.
It was initially released by Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
on SD DVD on December 7, 2004. The HD DVD release followed on May 22, 2007, with the Blu-ray release happening after the BD format's victory in the HD DVD/BD format war
High definition optical disc format war
A format war took place between the Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD optical disc standards for storing high definition video and audio.These standards emerged between 2000 and 2002 and attracted both the mutual and exclusive support of major consumer electronics manufacturers, personal computer...
on October 14, 2008.
The aim of the collection was to compile all three movies in the trilogy in one release, as well as The Animatrix
The Animatrix
is a 2003 direct-to-video anthology film based on The Matrix trilogy. The film is a compilation of nine animated short films.-Production:Development of the Animatrix project began when the film series' writers and directors, the Wachowski brothers, were in Japan promoting the first Matrix film...
, the feature length documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
The Matrix Revisited
The Matrix Revisited
The Matrix Revisited is a feature-length documentary on the production of the movie The Matrix.The film goes behind the scenes of the 1999 sci-fi movie to give explanations of complicated scenes, previews of the then-forthcoming sequels, and interviews with the cast and crew, including the...
and many other extras that were not available on the three previous, separate releases.
A Limited Edition of the Ultimate Matrix Collection was also released on SD DVD, packaged in a transparent case and including an exclusive resin bust of Neo and 80-page booklet.
Summary of new features
The first movie has been digitally enhanced so that it matches the clarity and color palette of the sequels.All three films now include two audio commentaries
Audio commentary
On disc-based video formats, an audio commentary is an additional audio track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with video...
: one by the film critics Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy is an American film critic. He wrote for Variety for 31 years as its chief film critic before being fired in 2010. He is currently a critic for The Hollywood Reporter....
, John Powers and David Thomson
David Thomson (film critic)
David Thomson is a film critic and historian based in the United States and the author of more than 20 books, including The New Biographical Dictionary of Film.-Career:...
; and one by the philosophers Ken Wilber
Ken Wilber
Kenneth Earl Wilber II is an American author who has written about mysticism, philosophy, ecology, and developmental psychology. His work formulates what he calls Integral Theory. In 1998, he founded the Integral Institute, for teaching and applications of Integral theory.-Biography:Ken Wilber was...
and Cornel West
Cornel West
Cornel Ronald West is an American philosopher, author, critic, actor, civil rights activist and prominent member of the Democratic Socialists of America....
. In a written introduction, the Wachowskis explain that this is to inspire an implied dialogue between both camps so that the audience "might triangulate their own position".
The set also features The Matrix Reloaded Revisited and The Matrix Revolutions Revisited, two new 'making of' documentaries on the sequels, divided into segments on larger sequences or aspects of production, which may in turn be viewed as short (~5-20 minute) segments. The Reloaded Revisited disk also includes the footage shot especially for the Enter the Matrix
Enter the Matrix
Enter the Matrix is the first video game based on The Matrix series of films. It was developed by Shiny Entertainment and published by Atari and WB Interactive for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Nintendo GameCube game systems, and for the PC. It was published in Japan by Bandai...
video game, which previously could only be seen after having completed certain parts of the game.
Three of the disks are not connected to specific movies in the series. "The Roots Of The Matrix" contains two short documentaries, discussing the philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
of the series as a whole. "The Burly Man Chronicles" provides a documentary on the trials and tribulations faced by the crew in the production of "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions." Finally, "The Zion Archive" is a collection of information on the merchandising, marketing and spin-off franchises; as well as miscellaneous material such as concept sketches.
The discs
The standard definition collection consists of the following:- Disc 1 - The MatrixThe MatrixThe Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
- Disc 2 - The Matrix RevisitedThe Matrix RevisitedThe Matrix Revisited is a feature-length documentary on the production of the movie The Matrix.The film goes behind the scenes of the 1999 sci-fi movie to give explanations of complicated scenes, previews of the then-forthcoming sequels, and interviews with the cast and crew, including the...
- Disc 3 - The Matrix ReloadedThe Matrix ReloadedThe Matrix Reloaded is a 2003 American science fiction film and the second installment in The Matrix trilogy, written and directed by the Wachowskis. It premiered on May 7, 2003, in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, and went on general release by Warner Bros. in North American theaters on May 15,...
- Disc 4 - The Matrix Reloaded Revisited
- Disc 5 - The Matrix RevolutionsThe Matrix RevolutionsThe Matrix Revolutions is a 2003 American science fiction film and the third installment of The Matrix trilogy. The film was released six months following The Matrix Reloaded. The film was written and directed by the Wachowski brothers and released simultaneously in sixty countries on November 5,...
- Disc 6 - The Matrix Revolutions Revisited
- Disc 7 - The AnimatrixThe Animatrixis a 2003 direct-to-video anthology film based on The Matrix trilogy. The film is a compilation of nine animated short films.-Production:Development of the Animatrix project began when the film series' writers and directors, the Wachowski brothers, were in Japan promoting the first Matrix film...
- Disc 8 - The Roots of The Matrix
- Disc 9 - The Burly Man Chronicles
- Disc 10 - The Zion ArchiveThe Zion ArchiveThe Zion Archive is a DVD provided with The Ultimate Matrix Collection that contains several forms of media such as pictures and video that all relate to the creation of The Matrix Trilogy...
The Blu-ray Disc collection is broken down differently:
- Disc 1 - The MatrixThe MatrixThe Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
feature film, including The Matrix RevisitedThe Matrix RevisitedThe Matrix Revisited is a feature-length documentary on the production of the movie The Matrix.The film goes behind the scenes of the 1999 sci-fi movie to give explanations of complicated scenes, previews of the then-forthcoming sequels, and interviews with the cast and crew, including the... - Disc 2 - The Matrix Digital CopyDigital copyDigital Copy provides consumers who purchase a film on DVD or Blu-ray Disc with an additional, digital copy of the movie for devices capable of operating with a file in contrast to a DVD.-Features:...
- Disc 3 - The Matrix ReloadedThe Matrix ReloadedThe Matrix Reloaded is a 2003 American science fiction film and the second installment in The Matrix trilogy, written and directed by the Wachowskis. It premiered on May 7, 2003, in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, and went on general release by Warner Bros. in North American theaters on May 15,...
feature film, including all the featurettes encompassing Reloaded Revisited - Disc 4 - The Matrix RevolutionsThe Matrix RevolutionsThe Matrix Revolutions is a 2003 American science fiction film and the third installment of The Matrix trilogy. The film was released six months following The Matrix Reloaded. The film was written and directed by the Wachowski brothers and released simultaneously in sixty countries on November 5,...
feature film, including all the featurettes encompassing Revolutions Revisited - Disc 5 - The AnimatrixThe Animatrixis a 2003 direct-to-video anthology film based on The Matrix trilogy. The film is a compilation of nine animated short films.-Production:Development of the Animatrix project began when the film series' writers and directors, the Wachowski brothers, were in Japan promoting the first Matrix film...
- Disc 6 - Side A: The Burly Man Chronicles Side B: The Roots of the Matrix
- Disc 7 - The Zion ArchiveThe Zion ArchiveThe Zion Archive is a DVD provided with The Ultimate Matrix Collection that contains several forms of media such as pictures and video that all relate to the creation of The Matrix Trilogy...
See also
- Simulated realitySimulated realitySimulated reality is the proposition that reality could be simulated—perhaps by computer simulation—to a degree indistinguishable from "true" reality. It could contain conscious minds which may or may not be fully aware that they are living inside a simulation....